Influenced

 

When I was a kid, my mother introduced me to this cartoon called Jem and the Holograms. 

The cartoon was about, according to Wikipedia and myself,"a music company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, her band the Holograms, and their adventures." Of course, there is much more to it then you think, and you can read about on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jem_%28TV_series%29

You know, as kids, what we saw, smelled, tasted, and learned molded us into the people we are and will still become. I remember watching this show as a kid and was just in awe. One specific part of this show that I loved, as did many other viewers, was that Jem and the Holograms would always sing a different song each episode. Now, as a kid, I loved the songs because they had a fun beat, you could rock out to them, and they were easy to sing along with. It wasn't until I got a little older, that I learned that many of the lyrics to each song had some kind of a positive message to them. Like this one. Here's a quick excert:

Friend Or Stranger

Friend or stranger
Everyone needs a helpin' hand, now and then
Friend or stranger
They need someone who'll understand
To listen at them
Help them choose a way to go
Point them to the light
Someone who will brighten up their darkest night And say it's all right 

There were of course songs that were specifically geared towards girls and being girly, but there was also a handful of songs that had extremely positive and  uplifting messages behind them.

Only the Beginning

Going back and remembering how much this simple girl group cartoon influenced me and just really inspired was a yrI read an article that the music was in the cartoon mainly to just add to the storyline. Little did those creators know how influential there music and lyrics would become. 

Ok, that was my geek out for Monday.

Nicole

The power of the wacky

"This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.." 

- The Nightmare before Christmas

It's October, and the library of fun Halloween movies is unbelievable. To help you get in the spirit of this wacky holiday, here are a few exerts/songs from some of my favorite Halloween movies. I believe they add to the fun and silliness of the holiday. Hope you enjoy!

Nicole

The kindness of strangers

Ever heard that quote -

“I always rely/depend on the kindness of strangers.”

 Let's be honest, kindness is something that is very 50/50. I'm sure a situation has occurred where you have been in need of a little extra help, there are people around you seeing you need help, yet no one does. Or perhaps you've been in a situation where you saw someone who looked like they were in need of a little extra help, but you bypassed them because you had a pre conceived notion about them. Back to my point, kindness is very 50/50 with us.

Kindness is something I love, especially when it's between and shared with total strangers. Luckily, there are a plethora of videos on YouTube showing kindness between strangers, family members, friends, and then some.

One of the best parts of kindness is that your doing and giving from the heart. Not because you think you can get something out of it, or so you can brag about it so people can know your a good person, or because you want to look good like some kind of hero. No, no...you do it from the heart without any expectations other than just being able to help.

I've had my share at unkind moments. Moments I'm mad at myself for, and some I learned a great deal from. So, rather then being stuck in the past and filled with regret, I'd like to move forward with my experiences and use them in a positive light. I have learned, grown, and can handle kindness the way I want and should.

People I pass randomly on a day to day basses, is actually loads of fun for me. For example, I'll be in the grocery store and see some women with a great pair of shoes, so I let her know,  "excuse me, those are great shoes". The look I get back is always one of two things. One, an honest sincere thank you and a smile that says,  "I feel good about myself", or  they say thank you, and give me this look that says "ok, crazy lady".

When I'm on the phone with an agent about a bank statement that messed up, or something I bought that broke right away, or having to call customer service for whatever, I always try to be nice. Think about it, they have to deal with disgruntled customers all day. Having someone actually be nice about their problems makes things much more easier for them, for you, and usually whatever your calling about can get resolved much faster.

I know you've all heard the saying "kindness, pass it on". Well, there is something to that. You get back what you give. Share kindness, expect nothing, and who knows what kind of a world you'll enter. I can tell you though, from first hand experience, it's a pretty awesome world to be apart of. 

Nicole

What is unhealthy?

In today's society we hear the word "unhealthy" used multiple times either ever other hour, day, week, and more. To the general public, the word "unhealthy" usually refers to a persons weight, health, and well being. Though, there is actually more to the word.

Think about it..."unhealthy"...it really does have different meanings. "Unhealthy" can mean having suicidal thoughts or perhaps having thoughts of destruction towards yourself and others. 

 

It can mean  having a devoted obsession, which is and can be, unhealthy. 

 

It can mean using pills as a crutch instead of a solution, or being in denial with ourselves and our actions. That's unhealthy. The list goes on and on.

 

I've never thought of these other examples of unhealthy until it was recently brought to my attention.  For me, I think of the word " unhealthy", and automatically think of weight. I immediately  think about a multitude of health risks due to being unhealthy, and I completely forget about the other definitions of the word and where else it could be coming from.

My main point, is that, when it comes to the word "unhealthy", there are many many different meanings and layers to the word. Stealing my friends words, unhealthy is sort of ambiguous due to the fact that typically the thought of the word is that of a very heavy, over weight person. It's our jobs to look past that meaning and spread the branches in our minds of all these other meanings to this word. It's all about being conscience of it, understanding of it, and not to pigeon hole the word in a specific category. 

By thinking this way, we could potentially start a new movement with this word and its different meaning. 

Nicole

Nicole

Just you

Thank you for coming to this blog and supporting it. In return, I will continue to keep uplifting and bringing whatever welcoming thoughts and advice I have. On that note, let's begin.

I have preached before about investing in yourself and going for it.  I still stand by that, and I must admit, it's not easy. The beginning process always seems to be the hardest part. Right now, I am sort of going through that.

Picture yourself as a car. The key goes in the ignition, you start to rev up. You're all amped and ready to go, then at the last minute you think "I can always do this tomorrow",  and turn off. Hopefully this is easy to understand. We get excited about the idea of doing something that helps us move forward, work on planning all the things we are going to do to make it happen, and then when it's time to actually execute our grand plans, we fall short.

I wonder why that is. Sometimes taking and starting that first step is super easy. You've already set a goal for yourself- now it's time to put it into action. Other times, that first step is harder then walking across hot coals.

So, it's up to you to be that coach you know you can be. You just have to constantly remind yourself of the big picture, and that YOU, yes YOU, can do it! Just like Nike.

I'm struggling with that first step, but I know I can and will. When I was in the hospital after my accident, I wanted to get better, and new I had to work hard with my physical therapy, yet every inch of my body felt like it had been hit by a ton of bricks and any movement I made sent a wave of unimaginable pain throughout. Still, I had to get working in order to get better.

That first step towards recovery was terrible. It took me almost two hours just to lift an empty paper cup. I was drenched with sweat from head to toe, but guess what? I did it! And so can you.

We can make that first step, we just need to look deep inside. Trust me... It's there.

Nicole

Forget me not

It was on the news yesterday morning, on calenders, post it notes, and then some. Yesterday officially marked the first day of fall. Summer seems to be long gone, and fall has finally made it's debut.

However, I have a theory. I have always felt that just when we've forgotten about fall, it hits. And when fall hits, it's almost as if our lives start over again.

F. Scott Fitzgerald has a great quote:

Now, when I read this, my jaw sort of dropped. Those are my thoughts exactly! I do indeed feel that there are others out there who would also agree. They would agree that our internal/body alarm clocks go into snooze mode once summer hits. We feel that we have made it through the year, summer hits, and now it's time to just rest easy for a bit. Summer gives us the opportunity for some time off. Then August hits. It's technically still summer in August, even though school is back in session, and you are moving with the work flow. August ends, then comes September. September still has a tad bit more summer in there, and then we hit the first day of fall. That, my friends, is when our lives start a new.

That first day of fall is the beginning of many endeavors for you and the year ahead. That first day is when it really kicks in. Now, this is my own philosophy, but I think I'm on to something.

My point is, fall brings with it a new beginning, and therefore it's good to start it with a bang. I believe the first day of fall starts this "new". Of course...you can always agree to disagree.

Nicole

True...